title: A fully immunized child with a cochlear implant and Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis 3 years after implantation.
abstract: Cochlear implants have been associated with increased risks of bacterial meningitis in children, notably but not limited to implants with a sialastic accessory piece called a positioner. Because of the associated risks, these devices were ultimately recalled by the Food and Drug Administration in 2002. We present a case of a fully immunized 4-year-old child with a cochlear implant without a positioner who developed Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis 3 years after implantation. The case highlights the increased risk for bacterial meningitis in the presence of cochlear implants regardless of device type, immunization status, or time after implantation especially in the context of middle- and inner-ear structural anomalies.
authors.affiliation: Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
authors.forename: Lila N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: O'Mahony
authors.forename: Eileen J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000382:microbiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000601:surgery; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines